Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority Collective Agreement 2024-2026

Article 15: Vacations With Pay

1. Definitions
   For the purpose of this Article:
   1. “vacation” means annual vacation with pay;
   2. “vacation year” means the twelve (12) month period commencing on the first (1st) day of January in each calendar year and concluding on the last day of December in each calendar year.
2. Vacation Entitlement
   Subject to Article 20, during each year of continuous service in the employ of the Employer, an Employee shall earn vacation with pay in proportion to the number of months worked during the vacation year, to be taken in the following vacation year, except as provided for in Article 15.06. The rate at which vacation is earned shall be governed by the total length of such employment as follows:
   1. during the first (1st) year of employment, an Employee shall earn entitlement to vacation calculated on a basis of ten (10) working days; or
   2. during each of the second (2nd) to fifth (5th) years of employment, an Employee shall earn entitlement to vacation calculated on a basis of fifteen (15) working days; or
   3. during each of the sixth (6th) to fourteen (14th) years of employment, an Employee shall earn entitlement to vacation calculated on a basis of twenty (20) working days; or
   4. during each of the fifteenth (15th) to twentieth (20th) years of employment, an Employee shall earn entitlement to vacation calculated on a basis of twenty-five (25) working days.
   5. during each of the twenty first (21st) and subsequent years of employment, an Employee shall earn entitlement to vacation calculated on a basis of twenty-five (25) days + one (1) day per calendar year thereafter to a maximum of thirty (30) days.
3. Vacation Pay for Casual Employees
   1. Vacation pay shall be paid in accordance with the following:
      1. during the first (1st) 2,190 hours of employment four percent (4%) of their regular earnings as defined in (b) below; or
      2. during the subsequent 2,191 hours to 8,760 hours of employment six percent (6%) of their regular earnings as defined in (b) below; or
      3. during the subsequent 8,761 hours to 19,710 hours of employment eight percent (8%) of their regular earnings as defined in (b) below.
   2. Only those regularly scheduled hours and additional hours worked at the basic rate of pay and on a Named Holiday to a maximum of up to twelve (12) hours will be recognized as regular earnings for the purpose of determining vacation pay.
4. Time of Vacation
   1. All vacation earned during one (1) vacation year shall be taken during the next following vacation year, at a mutually agreeable time, except that an Employee may be permitted to carry forward a portion of vacation entitlement to the next vacation year. Requests to carry-forward vacation shall be made, in writing, and shall be subject to the approval of the Employer. Such carry-forwards shall not exceed forty-eight (48) hours, except in extenuating circumstances and subject to the approval of the Employer.
   2. Notwithstanding Article 15.04(a) above, an Employee shall have the right to utilize vacation credits during the vacation year in which they are earned, provided the following conditions are met:
      1. such utilization does not exceed the total credits earned by an Employee at the time of taking vacation; and
      2. such vacation is taken at a mutually agreeable time.
   3. An Employee may request vacation leave during any period of the year.
   4. The Employer shall post a vacation planner in October of each year. The vacation planner will include a deadline for submission of vacation requests and a date, not greater than four (4) weeks following the deadline for submissions, by which vacation requests made on the vacation planner will be approved or denied. 
      
      Seniority shall be considered when there is a dispute regarding preference for the time that vacation is to be taken.
      
      All other requests for vacation will be considered on a first come first serve basis. These requests will be approved or denied within four (4) weeks of the request being submitted.
      
      When vacation requests are submitted for vacations starting less than four (4) weeks from the vacation request it is the responsibility of the Employee to arrange for coverage by and equally qualified Employee for their shifts during the vacation period.
5. Excess accrued vacation not taken by December 31 in any given year may be paid out upon written request of an Employee, unless mutually agreed to carry it forward in accordance with Article 15.04(a).
6. Unless given four (4) weeks advance notice of an alteration to their scheduled vacation period, an Employee required by the Employer to work during their vacation period will receive two times (2X) their basic rate of pay for all hours worked. This premium payment will cease and the Employee’s basic rate of pay will apply at the start of their next regularly scheduled shift. The time so worked will be rescheduled as vacation leave with pay to be added to the vacation period, when possible, or the Employee will be granted equivalent time off in lieu thereof at a mutually agreed later date. With the approval of the Employer, an Employee may elect to receive payment at the basic rate of pay in lieu of the aforementioned time off.
7. When an Employee’s vacation is cancelled by the Employer, the Employer shall be responsible for all non-refundable costs related to the cancellation of the vacation.